Woman of Emerald
by Monroe6661
Summary: After Johnny Gat is saved from what seemed like his inevitable requiem on Zinyak's ship, the boss focuses on not only how to demolish the alien's empire but how to manage her personal life as well - Something she's never done before. [FemBoss/OC x Johnny Gat]
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One:** _White Sparks._

It was strange how everything could just change all of a sudden, without a hint or a clue. Johnny was still adjusting to the major changes in his life. From the loss of Aisha to the destruction of his normal, everyday life in Stilwater. It'd been quite a few years since he saw his girlfriend's decapitation right before his very own eyes, but everytime he blinked, the scene was still fresh. Luckily for him, however, his heart was one of steel. It was growing incredibly easier for him to push the hurt away. He was thankful for the time he had with Aisha; The fact that he had to relive it in his hellish simulation... It was a nightmare. But the simulation had also made him appreciate everything from Pierce's shitty jokes to Shaundi's unruly attitude.

Then there was Phillipe Loren. The asshole who thought he was high and mighty - All knowing - over everyone. Little did the Belgian man know that he was time was soon due. If Johnny couldn't take care of him, he knew his boss would. He could always count on her. Always. There wasn't a time where she had let him down, excluding when she was blown to hell on the yacht all those years ago. But even then, she had prevailed from her two year long coma and saved him from death row.

Without her, not only would the Saints be long forgotten but he himself would be dead. Johnny practically owed that woman his life and then some.

She was a... A hell of a character. Johnny knew almost nothing about her and he was supposed to be her best friend. The only things that he really knew about her was the fact that she had family issues (And this was thanks to Asha), the only rappers she could stand were Eminem and Kanye West (She was mostly into the rock/alternative genre), and her favorite color was teal. Other than that, it was as if she was a complete stranger to Johnny. But she didn't want to reveal anything; She loved keeping up her mysterious facade. And he hated that more than anything.

Hell, he would kill just to know her first name. He was growing tired of calling her 'boss' every waking second of his life. As he stood up from his bed, Johnny knew that things had to change. He had to get to know his bo- His _best friend _better. Maybe it was because she had been there for him through it all. When everyone believed he was dead, she held onto the small white spark of courage that he was alive. It was a weak spark, sure, but she never let that spark fade. According to each Saint, from Pierce to Kinzie, the boss was never the same. Then again, neither was Shaundi, but that was expected. Johnny was like her big brother. But with the boss, the story was completely different. She had led _him _through everything and for his disappearance to affect her as it did... It was strange.

And then when Ben had informed him of the boss beating the shit out of Matt Miller because he had somewhat insulted him - It had bought a bit of a smile to his face. To know that she was practically the only one who really defended him when he couldn't... It warmed the cockles of his heart.

"Anyone seen the boss?" Johnny questioned as he stepped into the commons room of the ship.

Pierce glanced up and pointed up. "She's up there with Kinzie and Miller. They're strategizing for our next attack on the simulation. That's really all I know - If you wanna know more, go ask one of them."

Johnny chuckled softly and thanked him before he headed upstairs. As he stepped into the room, the boss let out a loud groan. "I don't understand what you're trying to tell me!" She complained, rubbing her hands down her face.

Kinzie and Matt both let out a unanimous sigh. "Okay, let me try to dumb this down for you," Kinzie used a different tone of voice,"Matt and I have picked up another signal in the simulation - For example, when Shaundi was trapped on Zinyak's ship, we found that out because of her signal in the simulation. Understand so far?"

The boss nodded softly. "Okay, so... There's someone else on Zinyak's ship? Who the hell could we have missed?"

"We aren't sure yet. We've been trying to decode the signal but it isn't working. Zinyak must've upgraded the masks on his signals so we wouldn't be able to save whoever it is-"

"But there's always the possibility that he's put a false signal in the simulation. I'm not quite sure that it's really possible, but Zinyak is highly intelligent. We can't rule out the possibility that he's trying to lure you back onto the ship so he can kill you. I wouldn't doubt that he's got a raging bloodlust for you, considering that you've outsmarted him several times and saved the sole members of the Saints." Matt piped in, only to receive another groan from the boss.

She ran her hands through her dirty blonde hair, trying to get a grip on herself. "So... There's a fifty percent chance that he's fucking with us - _Me _- and a fifty percent chance that he's trying to protect someone? But who the hell could be this important to protect? I got brains, I got brawn, I got attitude, I got fame and I got CID... I don't underst-"

"Brains? Brawn? Attitude? Fame?"

"Brains - You, Kinzie, Ben and Asha. Brawn - Johnny. Attitude is Shaundi and Pierce. Fame is Keith David."

"So you've incorporated us into groups?" Kinzie questioned; The boss nodded.

"Makes it easier to identify you all."

Johnny walked over to the boss and rested his hands on her shoulders, massaging them. "Relax, boss. You know I'll roll with you so that Zinyak motherfucker won't even lay a damn alien finger on you." The boss looked up with an appreciative smile as she shook Johnny's hands off. She stood, brushing her collarbone length hair behind her shoulders. "When the brains figure out if Zinyak is truly hiding someone or if he's just fucking with us, then we'll see what needs to happen. I don't want to go out and face him unless I have a good reason to."

"What about killing him? That's always a damn good reason - We can't just stay here and hide like pussies."

The boss rolled her eyes. "We need a decent plan, other than to go into his ship guns blazing. According to CID, Zinyak is highly advanced - He probably has false rooms with false signals, according to Matt on that last part." She gave her second lieutenant a delicate smile before she walked off. Johnny waited a good few seconds before pursuing her.

"Boss!" He called. "I gotta talk to you, right quick."

She turned quickly, her hair flying about. "What's up?"

Johnny approached her and grabbed her arm gently, towing her to the front of the ship. For once, Keith wasn't in the front. "We've been best friends for years-"

The boss snickered; This was the first time those words had actually left Johnny's mouth. "I'm sorry, go ahead."

With a roll of his eyes, Johnny continued. "I was just thinking... Maybe we should get to know more about each other."

"What? Are we getting married or something?" She laughed, tossing her head back. "Everything you need to know about me - You already know. Same goes for everyone else."

"You know my name and everyone else's. We don't knows yours."

"Because it isn't necessary. 'Boss' is pretty sufficient."

Johnny's eyes darkened. He was growing increasingly angry - Too quickly. He was realizing that he wasn't getting his way and he really didn't like that. Normally, he'd take out his knife to get his way - But this was the boss. Johnny wouldn't dare lay a finger on his boss. His best friend. Literally, the reason why he was still alive and not on Zinyak's ship anymore enduring his hell. "Boss, come on. I won't tell anyone."

She pursed her lips and sighed quietly. "If you tell, I swear to god, Johnny-"

"I won't. This'll stay between you and me. I promise."

The boss looked around, ensuring their privacy, before she opened her mouth. Her voice was nearly inaudible - Barely above a whisper. "Monroe."

_Monroe_? He'd never heard of that name before. And in all honesty, he had expected a more... Feminine name. "You mean like-"

"If you say what I think you're gonna say, I won't hesitate shooting you in your other fucking knee, Gat."

Johnny chuckled as he laced an arm around her shoulders. He leaned close, his lips at her ear. "Like _Marilyn Monroe_?" A broad smirk crossed his face as the anger flashed across Monroe's facial features but she worked to control it. She had already beat the shit out of Matt; Adding Johnny to the list would only worsen her trip to hell.

"Shut the fuck up."

Monroe yanked away from him but Johnny grabbed her arm, bringing her right back to him. "Hey now, play nice with your second lieutenant." He grinned, brushing his fingers through her hair. As much as Monroe hated the immense feeling of softness from Johnny, she couldn't help but to relax. It was a calming action. She put her hand on his chest.

"Johnny, can I ask you something?"

He pursed his lips. The last time she had asked him a question, it ended with an argument and they hadn't spoken for weeks. That was before Loren came into the picture – Just after Carlos had died. "Yeah, of course. " Johnny eventually answered.

"How are you so… Calm? Aisha died and you just seem so collected. I'm still a mess after Lin and Carlos' deaths… Not to mention the whole annihilation of earth." Monroe forced a hard laugh, trying to get herself out of her shitty mood. But it didn't work. She still felt ultimately terrible. "I just don't understand how you can push away those feelings so well – I hope I'm not offending you."

Johnny chuckled quietly. "Don't worry about it. You aren't offending me. It's just – I guess I'm used to it. I mean, fuck, it's been awhile since I lost her. I can't be hung up on her forever."

Monroe smiled a bit. "Yeah… Yeah, I guess you're right."

She walked away from Johnny, her shoulders feeling just a little lighter. She wasn't entirely content but she wasn't entirely upset, anymore. Monroe sat down in the rec room, watching as Pierce and Matt played pool.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two:** _Wishing Holidays._

"Gat's gonna be so damn happy." Pierce chuckled softly. "You're really gonna give him a great Christmas, Kinzie."

The red head smiled widely, pushing her glasses up on her nose. Her intelligence managed to make it a Christmas worthwhile for everyone – _Almost _everyone. The only person who Kinzie couldn't manage to please was Monroe, and that was because she wasn't sure what she wanted.

"What would the boss want, though?" Kinzie asked, thinking out loud.

"Carlos? Lin-"

"No!" Monroe quickly interrupted as she walked in. Lin was only going to drag her down more. "If you dare bring Lin into the simulation, I will personally throw your ass out into space. I don't want to see her again."

Everyone had thought Monroe and Lin had some type of romantic relationship, but they were far from it. They had both been in competition for the top spot in the Saints. Lin, however, had always outdone her. Her body count was far more than Monroe's and not to mention the fact that Lin had way more experience back then. Monroe had just been picked up from the street, not even knowing how to shoot a gun.

"_They'll always take you a lot less serious, sweetheart. You have tits. You'll never reach my status_."

That was Lin's favorite taunt. And it worked – It pushed Monroe to the very edge of her sanity. Every day, she would look for trouble. She wanted to up her body count and surpass Lin. If Monroe couldn't be known as a strong female Saint, she'd rather die. This gang was ultimately her life. Nothing had meant more to her than the Third Street Saints. Up until his betrayal, Julius had been like a father to her. He showed her the ropes when she first joined the gang. Troy had given her a hard time, kind of like an older brother. Dex was the little supportive one. He was always trying to back her up with brains. And then there was Johnny. He was like her overprotective brother. Always trying to defend her but always sending her out to do what he didn't want to do.

Nonetheless, it made her a strong woman. But she still couldn't compare to Lin, no matter how hard she tried. Monroe would always be inferior to the Asian woman.

But that was her Christmas wish – It had been for a while. Every single Christmas since she joined the Saints, Monroe had deeply prayed and wished that she would, one day, be as great as Lin. Everyone compared her to Lin and it aggravated her to no end. For once, Monroe wanted someone to acknowledge that she was better than Lin. Even now, on a spaceship, Monroe wasn't going to give up.

"Boss?"

Monroe looked up, meeting Pierce's eyes. She hadn't realized she had gotten lost in her mind – Her _troubles _for so long. "Sorry. What was that?"

"Do you want _anything _for Christmas? Anything at all?"

"No. I don't wa-" She cut herself off. What the hell was she saying? There was… There was one thing she wanted for Christmas. "Actually… I take back what I said earlier. Load up Lin in the simulation, if you can. Don't change a single thing about her. Let me know when I can go in."

Kinzie gave a soft smile as she turned to the computers, typing away productively. Pierce attempted to watch her for a few seconds as a hope to learn something but he soon gave up when Kinzie started to read numerical encryptions out loud at an almost ungodly speed. He adjusted his hat before going to find someone interesting to talk to. Eventually, he settled on Johnny.

A smirk crossed his face as he remembered the present that Kinzie was loading up for him. "How you feel about Christmas?"

Johnny looked up, a perplexed look on his face. "Christmas? It's alright. Why?"

"I think your opinion's gonna change pretty soon."

"Pierce," Johnny sighed as he rubbed his temple and pushed himself from the wall, "What the hell are you going on about? I don't have time for games-"

"Boss!" Kinzie's shrill voice piped up.

The two lieutenants looked over at their boss as she walked past them towards the main room. "Is it ready?" She asked quietly.

"It sure is. Go ahead and get in, I'll transport you."

Johnny and Pierce carefully peered around the corner just as Monroe stepped into the simulator. Pierce smiled a bit, knowing exactly what was happening, whereas Johnny stood completely clueless. "What's she doing?" He asked, entering the room.

"For Christmas, I decided to load Lin for her – Rather, she asked me. For what purpose? I don't know. But she asked me to not look-"

"We're gonna watch her regardless." Johnny chuckled, peering over Kinzie's shoulder.

Monroe looked around the streets of Stilwater before a body of static appeared before her. She fell onto her bottom, gazing up just in time to see Lin – Only this time, instead of donning blue, she was wearing the Saints purple. "Still trying to be better than me, I see." Were the very first words out of Lin's mouth.

"Trying? Lin, I've succeeded. I've reached the top, whereas you're six feet under. I'm the head of the Saints-"

Monroe was interrupted as she stood. "You think you earned the position? I earned it long ago, just ask Julius. But I denied it – I liked being in the action, having my life put on the line. When I meant 'the top', I meant the top Saint; The one who constantly fought for their gang. You, however, don't fight for them. You make them fight for you."

The realization hit her harder than anything Lin had ever said to her before. It was true, at least half of it was.

"I fight for them! You don't know a damn thing! I saved Johnny from the VK, I saved Shaundi from Veteran Child, and I've saved them from their worst nightmares. What have you done besides infiltrating the Rollerz and fucking their car boy?"

Lin laughed coldly. "Julius – The _Saints _trusted me enough to go and do such a thing," She drilled her finger into Monroe's chest. "And for your information, I didn't fuck Donnie. We talked about cars. But I can tell you who I did fuck."

Monroe's eyes went wide. "You shut the fuck up." When she had first joined the Saints, Lin hadn't ever thought about Monroe being a lieutenant. So she treated her as a newbie who did the dirty work that no one cared for; Lin and Monroe had actually been close for a short period of time. Monroe had even confessed a few secrets to Lin. One of them being how she had the smallest crush on Johnny Gat.

"It only happened a few times, whenever he and Eesh would argue-'

"_Shut up_! Just shut the fuck up!"

"Jealous, are we? I bet you wish you could see how endowed he is. Wish he'd moan your name, wish he'd fuck you so hard – To the point where the headboard is slamming into the wall-"

It all happened way too quickly for Lin – Or the group of people watching from the ship – to try and comprehend. Monroe attacked the simulated Asian woman, tackling her to the ground. Her fists flew, hitting various parts of Lin, from her face to her upper chest.

"Fuck you! Just fucking die – I'm so glad you're fucking dead, you worthless whore!"

Lin laughed and disappeared from under Monroe, appearing behind her. She grabbed a handful of her blonde hair and yanked her up to her feet. "I'm a worthless whore? That's cute, real cute. When you realize that you were just a piece of trash the Saints found on the street, then come talk to me."

Monroe pulled away, glaring at her. "If you're a real woman, you'll fucking fight me without teleporting." Simulation or not, the ultimate present would be to kill Lin – The bitch who had made her personal life a living hell.

"And take away all the fun that's been ripping apart your mentality? Then what would you mount to? You've only made it this far with the Saints because you're practically near the brink of insanity. The fact that I'm better than you at everything you do – It rips you apart. It pushes you to do the unthinkable, and it pushes you to live. Without me, you'd still be at the bottom and you know that fairly well."

It was a fact that Monroe couldn't deny. If Lin hadn't pranced about with her accomplishments and bragged about them, she wouldn't care about being superior. Hell. She probably would've gotten out of the Saints soon after joining. The gang wouldn't matter to her one bit.

Maybe Carlos would still be alive.

The thought twisted her stomach just a bit. He was an innocent kid. If Monroe hadn't pushed him to do crazy shit with the Brotherhood… Then Jessica wouldn't have drug him around the streets. With a quiet sigh, Monroe stepped back from Lin. "You're right." She quietly mumbled – Words that had been ripping apart her vocal chords for quite some time. "With you… I wouldn't amount to anything."

"And you still don't. I'm glad we learned this lesson."

Monroe looked down as she walked away. "Kinzie? Get me the fuck out of here." She muttered, running a hand through her hair. Within a matter of seconds, the head of the Saints was out of the simulation. The entire ship had seen her confrontation with the computerized Lin; It was obvious. They were all still crowded around Kinzie's work area, eyes glued to a screen.

"Boss-" Shaundi tried.

"Don't." Monroe cut her off. "I don't care. I don't want to hear it. She's just a computer. Lin's dead for a reason. I'll always be better than her." But the words tasted foreign and untrue as they left her lips.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three:** _The Burning Man._

Johnny grunted as Kinzie prepped him to enter the simulation. It was December 25th. The last Christmas Johnny had on earth was spent with Aisha. They had woken up extremely late. Aisha made breakfast and the two of them ate. Afterwards, presents were opened. Johnny had gotten Aisha a set of 20 carat diamond earrings. In return, he received yet another custom Louis Moinet Magestralis watch to add to his collection.

It was that same day when he had gone out for food, only to see the boss – Monroe – eating by herself in a corner. For some reason, he had felt extremely drawn to her. He offered her a ride which she denied. Half an hour of pleading later, Monroe was in the passenger's seat of his car with her feet propped up on the dashboard. It was only when Johnny passed two jewelry stores that he realized something needed to be done to improve Monroe's shitty Christmas. The second lieutenant made a sharp U-turn, pulling into the jewelers. Without another word, he quickly up and left into the store.

Surprisingly, it didn't take him long to figure out what to buy. He settled on a silver necklace with a single fourteen carat emerald dangling from the chain. Despite how plain it looked, Johnny knew it was the most perfect piece of jewelry for Monroe. Her deep green eyes had been… Captivating. Then and now. The look on Monroe's face when Johnny had gave her the necklace was one he would never forget. She looked beyond grateful and ecstatic. And the fact that she still wore it after all those years… Hell, it made Johnny feel like a million bucks.

"Where's the boss?" Were Johnny's first words. Kinzie rolled her eyes – She should've expected that from him. "Sleeping, of course." The answer, also, should have been obvious. "I'll have someone wake her up so you won't have to be in the simulation alone."

Johnny's face screwed up and he let out a huff of air. "I don't need anyone to accompany my ass into the damned simulation."

"Sure you don't. Yeah, I believe you."

"What's that supposed to fuckin' mean?" He growled.

"Nothing, now bye!" Kinzie grinned as she launched Gat into the simulation. He was back in his regular clothes: Jeans, button up shirt, and his Saints jacket. If it weren't for the glitching pedestrians, Johnny would've felt as if he were finally back home. True home.

"Kinzie, what the f-"

"Go to your house." The red head sighed as she watched over.

"Why?"

"Because I said so. Now, do it or I'll pull a plug and you'll go brain dead."

Johnny chuckled. "Alright, alright. I'm goin'." For some reason, Kinzie reminded Johnny of Shaundi – Back before she became ruthless. Somewhat carefree and kind to a degree but, at the same time, could also put a bullet through any motherfucker. But now that he was back, Shaundi was slowly beginning to loosen up. As Johnny approached his once beloved home from long ago, he heard the faintest giggle from Kinzie. Before he could open his mouth to question her, the front door swung open, nearly hitting him in the face, and revealed his long lost treasure.

"Eesh-"He cut himself off, trying to piece together a '_thank you_' to Kinzie. "Thanks." Was all he could really muster to the brainy Saints as Aisha engulfed him in a loving hug. "Johnny, where the hell have you been?! I sent you to pick up detergent hours ago!"

Johnny smiled – A genuine action – and cupped Aisha's face, kissing her softly.

Monroe cried out as Lin tackled her to the ground, once again, smothering her face in the dirt. She felt as if she were in high school.

"Please, you silent bitch, just admit that you'll never be as good as I am and you can stop eating dirt." Lin chuckled as Monroe struggled. Computerized or not, the head of the Saints was determined to finally conquer her Asian-American foe.

"Fuck. You." Monroe spat as she finally managed to push Lin off of her. "I am _not _going to accept getting my ass kicked by someone who's fucking dead. I'm alive and kicking for a god damn reason so fuck the hell off!"

Monroe threw fist after fist, grunting with each punch that landed. She was pissed – It had been days and she still couldn't kill Lin. Granted, she had gotten close once; Had a gun to the woman's head, but Monroe had gotten far too caught up in her death speech and was quickly tripped. She lost her balance and, ultimately, handed another victory to Lin.

"You're a goddamn cunt and I can't stand you, nor can anyone else!"

"Hey, now." Johnny interrupted Monroe's string of anger. "What the hell-"It was only then he had seen Lin, who was grinning broadly. She laughed and disappeared into thin air.

"God damn it!" Monroe hollered, punching the ground. "God _fucking _damn it!" She stood, turning to face Johnny who held a bag of Freckle Bitch's in his hand. "If you hadn't fucking put your two senses in, the stupid slut would be fucking dead, already! This is your stupid ass fucking fault!"

With a sigh and a roll of his eyes, Johnny picked Monroe up with his free arm, taking her to his car. "You need to relax. I don't know what's up with you and Lin, but I do know that she's fucking dead so you can chill."

"I don't _want _to fucking chill! I want Lin to die by _my _hands, dammit! I've wanted to kick her ass for so long-"

"Then tell me why this matters. Why do you fucking hate her so much?"

"She taunted me when I first joined the Saints. Undermined me forever. She always told me I'd be nothing – That I'd die within due time."

Johnny began to drive, the radio off. "But look at the situation: You're alive and she isn't. That should fuckin'… Mean something to you. Carry some kind of god damn weight."

Monroe sighed quietly after a long few minutes of thinking out her answer. "It… It does." She reassured him. "Just not enou- Is that fucking Aisha?"

"Yeah," Johnny grinned. He parked; Aisha gazing out of the front window as if she were a little child awaiting the arrival of her parents after a long day at school, "Kinzie… She did this. I didn't ask her. It was all her idea. Fuckin' talk about best Christmas gift ever." He chuckle. The emerald – Which almost matched the exact shade of Monroe's green eyes – Twinkled in the computer generated sun. For a second, it captivated Johnny. The sparkle slammed him into the past. All of the good times he had spent with the boss were suddenly at the forefront of his mind. The reality of how special the gem he had purchased for her crashed down and Johnny blinked. He found himself drowning in a vast pool of mysterious emotions. Before he could speak the burning words, he bit his tongue.

Monroe frowned and grabbed Johnny's hand, squeezing it to get his attention. After the fifth or sixth squeeze, he turned to her – A blank expression clearly etched on his face. "You alright? You want me to leave the simulation so you can cope?"

"Nah," He shook his head, "It's just I'm still trying to get used to it – The fact that Aisha is actually, you know… Here. Sure, she ain't alive on a literal level but at least I don't have to be stuck in my head with her, any longer. I can actually hold her… Hug her… Kiss her. It's like I got a second chance, you know?"

For some unknown reason, Monroe's hand instinctively went to the chiseled emerald around her neck. She played with it idly. "I'm happy for you, Gat. You deserve this – Happiness, especially with Aisha."

He chuckled a bit. "Funny. I've heard that from a lot of the Saints onboard. It just annoys me more each goddamn time."

"Oh… Why?" Was she annoying him? That was the last thing she wanted to do. Johnny was literally her best friend until the end of time. He'd been her support since she had first joined the Saints. In all reality, Johnny Gat was practically her lifeline.

"It's like… I know what I need, what I have, what I want and what I deserve. It just annoys the shit out of me when someone reminds me of those things." Johnny glanced over at Monroe, catching the apologetic emotion that was flooding in her emerald eyes, and almost instantly, he had regretted saying each and every word that had managed to leave his lips. "Monroe-"

"It's _boss_," She quietly and somewhat coldly corrected him; all reminiscing and fun was long gone, "Just – Let's go. Aisha's waiting." Johnny suppressed a long sigh as he exited the vehicle. Normally, he would help her out of the car but today wasn't normality. Maybe it was because Aisha had been reintroduced into Johnny's life; maybe it had been because Lin was forced back into Monroe's life. Or maybe – Just _maybe_, it was because Johnny was slowly realizing things… Things that, perhaps, he should have realized a long time ago.

He led Monroe quietly into the house and she watched as Johnny was bombarded by hugs and kisses from Aisha. Monroe took a seat on the recliner; Johnny chuckled a bit as he set Aisha down. She smiled softly, her gaze drifting over to Monroe. Unlike her boyfriend, she still didn't know the street boss' names.

"Well, I'll be damned," Aisha laughed, "It's been awhile since I've seen you. Didn't think you'd make it out of jail, much less that coma. You do somethin-"

"Different with my hair? Yeah… It's been years. You've been dea-"

Johnny quickly grabbed Monroe and towed her to the hallway. "What the hell?" He growled softly to her. "Were you going to fucking tell Aisha that she's been dead? You aren't gonna fucking say a goddamn thing to her about that! Kinzie's practically rewired her to before the Ronin came into the picture. She thinks you've barely gotten out of your coma and that everything's still normal. So _don't _fuck that up, you hear me?!" His voice had raised some considerably. He was stern, pissed.

However, Monroe was just as equally angry. Like him, she wasn't keen on being told what to do. "You want go fuck yourself. She has every right to be aware of the truth because when she finds out, you know she's gonna be pissed the fuck off and then what's gonna happen? You're gonna come straight to me, like usual. And – You also know what? I'm going to be there to help you. I'll be there to listen to every single word that you say. I'll be there with you – Shooting random cans – So you can take out your anger. I've always been there for you, despite anything and everything, so don't fucking raise your voice at me like you're my superior."

Without another word to him, Monroe yanked away from his grasp and walked to the door. "See you later, Eesh. Take care of yourself." She calmly called in a friendly manner.

"It was good seeing you, be careful!" Aisha called right back as the door closed behind the hardened criminal. Monroe took several calming breaths as she walked down the street. The unknown skeletons in Johnny's closet were slowly revealing themselves. Whether he knew it or not, his feelings were beginning to change. They were questioning themselves, only to switch over-

From Aisha to Monroe.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four:** _Visions of The Dead_.

Monroe sighed quietly, the sound seemed like a scream on the silent ship. Everyone other than Kinzie, CID and Monroe herself were in the simulation. At the current moment, Kinzie was working on a simulation that would please CID. "I don't know why you're so picky." The brainy redhead mumbled. "You're a robot, we've given you enough."

"No, you haven't. I still have yet to acquire a date-"

"There isn't a damn human alive on this ship that will date you, CID! I'm sure there's a technological name for a human and a robot relationship, but none of us are into that. Now, I can always conjure up a program just like yours - Except female - and launch a robot into the simulation for you."

CID was - for the first time in a while - entirely quiet. For worry of him possibly malfunctioning, Monroe looked up, her finger on her gun just in case. Kinzie and Matt had always feared that Zinyak would figure out how to rap into CID's hard drive and turn him against the small amount of remaining Saints. "I would like that." He eventually answered. "Yes... May that be my Christmas gift?" The fact that CID was actually using manners was surprising enough. But because he was actually satisfied with something that someone was offering to him - That was ultimately the icing on the cake. Christmas really changed everyone, nearly.

As Kinzie began with a female version of CID, Monroe relaxed back into her seat and resumed sketching. It was a rough hand of Zinyak's ship. She was drawing the outline of the interior as best as she could from what she could remember. Some parts were a bit awkward around the edges but all in all, it was nearly one hundred percent accurate.

This, of course, was all part of her plan to take down Zinyak. If she knew the outline of the ship then it shouldn't be too difficult to maneuver her way through and take down the asshole himself. Her mind had already been made up. The rest of the Saints would deal with the extra Zin - Keep them out of her way. However, she needed someone on the ship. Someone who would watch over the simulation and deal with any Zin threatening to attack at the same time. Monroe was stuck between Ben King, Keith David and Asha Odekar. Asha, unlike the other two, was experienced with the KGB. As of now, she was the top pick for the job. But, at the same time, what would Ben and Keith do? Her thoughts conflicted wildly with one another. Brains versus brawn - That was the constant struggle; the repetitive battle.

"Kinzie," Monroe finally spoke up, clearing her throat.

Kinzie's head snapped up. She was clearly too involved in her work. "Yeah, boss?"

"I need your help."

As much as Kinzie would've loved to ridicule her boss for actually asking for help, she bit her tongue and gave a firm nod - A signal that she was willing to lend her ears.

Monroe sighed quietly. "This whole Zinyak thing - I have a plan somewhat figured out. But I just need to smooth over some parts. Like whom the hell would I leave on the ship to guard it and watch over the simulation? Who would I take with me for the various parts-?"

"Boss," Kinzie cut her off as she walked over to her and laid a hand on her shoulder, "You think about this too much. We're _miles _ahead of Zinyak, okay? Take a break. Relax. Actually, go sleep. You look like you haven't done that in ages."

"It feels like I haven't." Monroe laughed softly, tucking her drawing under her arm as she stood. Her eyelids had been heavy with sleep for days, now. "You'll wake me up if anything goes wrong?"

"Of course. Now, go sleep. Really. Before I drug you-"

"Unnecessary!" Monroe called over her shoulder as she walked to her room. The doors closed behind her and she instantly plopped onto the bed with a sigh. She tossed her drawing onto the floor a few feet away and let her eyelids finally shut.

Sleep took over almost instantly.

"What the fuck are you doing?! I said take the _left_-" Monroe's eyes were wide with utter shock as a Zin tackled Asha to the ground. She struggled and called out for the boss for a mere few seconds before she was silenced with a shot to her temple.

Monroe was frozen where she stood; Her hand covering her mouth. She ran to the KGB agent and knelt down beside her, trying to find any sigh of life in her. There was none. "Fuck…" She mumbled. "Fuck – No… _Fuck_!" The head of the Saints stood and wiped her face of all emotion, trying her very best to move on.

The sound of a yelp caught her attention, making her quickly twirl around. "Boss! H-Help! I can't-"

"Boss, I need you!"

The pleas of help came from both her left and right. To her left, a Zin had Keith David pinned to the wall. To her right, Ben King was choking underneath the foot of Zin. She knew that she couldn't get to both of them in time, so she did the best thing – Called for help. "Miller!" But it was to no avail. Matt Miller was crawling away from several Zin, a trail of blood behind him. Monroe wasn't even given the chance to look away before seeing the brainy man being picked up and crushed to absolute bits. Blood was everywhere.

While she had been focused on Matt's death, Ben was choked to death – Keith was beaten to a pulp and left on the floor to die.

Monroe felt her world being ripped away right from under her. This wasn't right. Zinyak wasn't supposed to win. But yet, the moment was happening. He was winning and he didn't even have to make an appearance. She was ready to give up – Ready to give her own life to save the rest of her crew – When the pained sobs of Kinzie rang through her ears. She whipped around. "Kinzie, I-I'm sorry!" Even though an apology wasn't an efficient means for Kinzie's death but it was all Monroe could really muster up for her at the moment.

"Boss!"

"Shaundi!" Monroe teared up as she saw the beaten and battered brunette she had managed to grow so close to. She turned before she had to see her killed – A scream reverberating off of the walls.

When the realization hit her, she ran. She had two more Saints to save. Pierce and Johnny. If she couldn't save them, she wasn't worth a damn thing. Her feet carried her quickly throughout the ship – It was weird how none of the Zin seemed to ignore her. They were after every one _but _her. Was this some kind of test? Some kind of… Epiphany type of thing?

Her lungs were near collapsing. Zinyak's ship almost most definitely wasn't this large or spacious. She couldn't get her mind off of the fact that none of the Zin were looking to attack her. Something was wrong. Zinyak had to be fucking with her.

And it was working.

As she rounded the corner, she nearly gagged on the hideous stench. It had seemed that Pierce had been dead for a little longer than she expected. He was slumped against the wall – His space suit drenched in a dark red and his hat was tattered several feet away from him.

"Get off of me you alien fucks!"

No… No, not Johnny…

Monroe wiped the threatening tears and quickly ran to the next room. Johnny was backed into a corner, fighting off multiple Zin. She grabbed a stray gun from the floor and shot at the Zin, until Johnny was in clear sight. They smiled at each other; Monroe ran at him.

But before they could embrace, a sinister chuckle sounded. "I hope you know this isn't going to go as planned." And then, Zinyak came into sight. His arms were crossed over his chest; He stood between the two Saints. "I have discovered that your true requiem isn't being trapped in a simulation, no. It's seeing the ones you love being taken from you. And I plan to take the one you love the most away right before your very eyes."

Monroe growled and leaped for him. Zinyak smirked and moved out of the way, picking Johnny up by his throat. "Futile. Very, very futile." He kicked Monroe into the wall, her groan was loud and pained.

"Me," She mumbled, attempting to stand,"Not him. Please-"

"I don't listen to the pleas of humans. You had your chance to give yourself up – To save your planet. But you chose to wreak havoc and go against it. This is your consequence." Without another word, he tightened his grip on Johnny's neck and the Asian-American man began to turn purple.

"_No_!" Monroe bolted up in her sleep, sweat coating her skin. She looked around the room and bought her knees up. "Just a fucking dream, stupid. It was all just a fucking, god damn, idiotic dream."

The quiet sound of her doors sliding open caught her attention. Johnny walked in, sitting on the edge of the bed. "Dream? Sounded like a damn nightmare with the way you were breathin' and movin'. You alright, bo-Monroe?"

Monroe said nothing as she practically threw herself into his arms. She didn't cry but she felt as if she were. "Whatever happens in the future… Promise me you won't ever hate me. Please?"

"Hate you?" Johnny furrowed his brows together. "Monroe, I won't ever hate you. Why-"

"Thank you." She kissed his shoulder and he tightened his grip on her. He wasn't sure what was wrong with her lately, but Johnny was determined to make time for Monroe. One way or another, they were going to talk about everything.

Including the possibility of his feelings for her. That was the major factor in his mind, at the moment. When his questions were answered – Concerning if he really, truly had romantic feelings for Monroe and if she returned them – Then maybe he'd be able to get some sleep. Some rest. Some relaxation in his hectic life. Because, lately, he'd been up either in his room or in the simulation. Hell, he had even asked Kinzie to delete the Aisha simulation. She just… Didn't capture his attention anymore. Maybe it was because of the time that Johnny had spent away from her. He had really steered his mind away from her in an effort to get over her. And apparently, it had worked because now he couldn't get his mind off of Monroe; No matter how hard he tried.


End file.
